Apparatus for packaging lumber



2 Sheets-Sheet l .-'1VVENT ATTORNEYS D. M. ROSE APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING LUMBER M m? AK BY @M m x i w Jan. 5, 1954 Original Filed Oct. 17, 1950 Jan. 5, 1954 D. M. ROSE APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING LUMBER Original Filed Oct. 17, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNE'KS UNITED STATES hATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING LUMBER Daniel M. Rose, Knoxville, Tenn.

Original application, October 17, 1950, Serial No. 190,625. Divided and this application January 3, 1952, Serial No. 264,807

l Claims. (01. 100-25) This application is a division of my application Serial No. 193,625, filed October 17, 1950.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for packaging lumber, particularly random lengths of flooring.

Heretofore has required 60 to 70 man hours to load a railway car with bundles of lumber, such as random length flooring, and wherein the individual bundles were placed lengthwise of the car. To unload at the destination required about the same number of man hours.

It has been found that this same operation requires but approximately 3% man hours to load and the same time to unload when my new and improved package of lumber of random lengths is used.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus for packaging in dividual bundles of lumber of random lengths into a. compact package, which simplifies the banding of the package and the removal from the apparatus and which also provides a plurality of bins within the smallest possible floor space.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus for packaging individual bundles of lumber that facilitates the loading and tying from the floor level with a minimum of reaching for the average man.

A further object of this invention is to providea new and improved apparatus for packaging individual bundles that comprises a multiplicity of bins to provide for the separation of various grades and diiferent species of lumber.

'To accomplish the above objects I provide an apparatus for packaging lumber, particularly random length flooring, which consists of a bin provided with means for guiding the tie band around the package preparatory to tying the same, and which is provided with means that enables the picking up of the package by a fork truck.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the discussion proceeds and when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a double-deck packaging bin embodying my invention, showing the upper deck empty and the lower deck with a completed package ready to be removed therefrom;

Figs. 2 and 3 are front and side elevational views, respectively, of a completed package embodying my invention, loaded on a conventional fork truck;

Fig. 4 is a perspective-view of an individual bundle of random length flooring of substantially the same length as it emerges from a packaging;

a double-deck packaging bin, which preferably is of a. length a little less than the width of abox car. The bin it consists of a pair of lower front and back base members or sills H, and the numeral l2 designates a pair of front and back headers which also form sills for theupperreceptacle and are located approximately midway of the height of the bin [0. Each of the sills ii and i2 is provided with a pair of elongated notches 13 located approximately midway between the ends of the sills, for the purpose of receiving a fork 3! on a conventional lift truck 35 (Figs. 2 and 3 second pair of notches, somewhat T-shaped designated generally by the numeral it. Each of the notches M is located, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 5, near, but preferably spaced inwardly from, the ends of the sills H and I2. The notches hi are adapted to receive spacer strips of wood id, or the like, which may be of any size desired, but which should be of a length equal to the width of the package when completed, and which support the package on a floor, with the material of the package in spaced relation to the floor. The ends of the strips of wood it are beveled 01? at approximately 2. 45 angle, as shown in Fig. 5. This beveling reduces friction and enables the band to slip and be pulled tight around the package and also prevents injury to the edges of the flooring strips of the bundle by pressure of the hand against said edges. In addition,the beveling also reduces friction as well as forms a skid to facilitate the sliding of the package over floor surfaces.

In addition to the strip l4, located on the underneath side of the package, a second strip it, also with the ends beveled at approximately a 45 angle, is located on the top of the bundle underneath each band or strap 23 for the purpose of further reducing friction thereof as the strapis: pulled tight around the package.

A double-deck bin is illustrated and described becauseit has been foundadvantageousto have such a bin to provide for packages of different length boards, whereby one bin can be loaded while the other is being tied and the package being removed. This arrangement provides two or more bins within the smallest possible floor space 5 and also facilitates the loading and tying from the floor level without too much reaching for the average man. However, it is. to. be understood that any number of decks can be incorporatedin" one bin.

Located in the bottom of each of the notches. I4 is a further notch I5, which is for the purpose of receiving a guide member: Ii which is: channel-shaped in cross section and is also bent back upon itself in U-shape. Thespecific purpose of the guide member I6, will;be: discussed in detail later. The members. I6; may; be new manently secured to the sills II and I2 or may be slid into the notches I5 before or after the bundles are arranged in the bin II).

On either side of the front sills I I and I2, and connected together thereby; are upstandingside posts IT which are connectedtogether at their top ends by-means-of atransverse cross member' or header 18. Also supporting the rear sills: I I and: I 2 and connected together thereby is a pair of upstanding side posts I9-3 These parts I I; I2; I8 and" I9 form an opemframework. Surround ing the two sides and the back ofthe-biir I8 are panels: 20; The panels- 20 forming the back (notshownl may-beadded; if desired} to g-ive added strength to l the 1 bin I 0&

As will i beseen Y from astudy 'of Figs. 1- and 5; the guide members I6 are fitted into the slots I5' of both thefront-and back sills II;' as=well asthe front and' back sills- I2. The-top si'deo of-thedower guide memberlfi may--h e-fastened to the underside of the front andiback 'sill's= I2. The top side of the upper guide member I G may be affixed to-the underside of thetransverse oross= member or-header= IB-Z A small bundle or package 22, madeupw? pieces 0f flooring ofa-napproximatelyuniform length to make 1 upan average lengthbundle: of six' inches over" and under bundle length-",- is then bandedby awtrap123 in a conventionalbundling rack, aportionof "which- 1s designated:

generally by: the numeral 24 (Fig. 4 The: bund-le is tied=without=removing the samef'rom the bundling-rack 2'4; It wil'l be:observed fron'r a studyof Fig-z 4 that: one-*end' 2 5-- of tlie: bundle" 22 isarranged sothat the ends of thespieces offi ifiooring are--matched or1even: Obviously, it= being impractical to sort random; lengths of-i flooring economically into exactly-: uniform= lengths; the other" end 0f the bundle will not 'be:

even; The I boards irr the =bundler22 are :tongue' evenends-25 -ofthe=bundles 22-, preferably mare placed facing th'eends of the:completedpackage: 21.

After all of the rindlridualibundlesfitare propeerlm'placedzin gthe-rb 0; imeither-rtherlower on-suppers deck aastrapglzl isrinsertedsz intm.,eaeh

guide member I6. It will be seen from a study of Figs. 1 and 5, that by virtue of the shape of the guide member I6, the strap 28 may be inserted in either the top end or bottom end of the guide I6, and, as it is pushed through the length of the channel, will be caused to bend back and around the package 21 in the bin and finally extend out from the opposite end of the guide from: whence itcan be readily grasped. The two ends of'the strap 28 are then put into ajoining apparatus of conventional design and a: tie 29 is made in the strap. As the strap 28 isitiedaboutfthebundle 21, it will be pulled out of the guide member through the slots 2I and the-open'side of the guide member, and down tightly around all: four sides of the completed package: 21. While" only two straps have been shown: about each. package 21, any number of straps desired may be provided, but for each strap desired there is provided a guide member I6.

After the completed package 27 has been strapped and tied; andis'still in the bin IIl', a'lift' truck 3Il having a fork 3I- ismoved'upto'the bin I0 and the fork is slid through the notches I3 under the package 21, which now can be considered as-a' pallet unit; The fork 3| then is raised'until it supports the package 21, on which it-can be readily removed from the bin I0 and transported to a'-- box car, truck or the like; or may be m-oved directly to a warehouse for storage. The wooden spacer strips I4 being held on-the bottom of the package 2 by the straps 28; afford-an elevated support for the bundle'and makeit= possible to slide the fork- 3-1 of the lift truck thereunder when thepackage i'l isplaced of the box car; and with the individual'boards also extending crosswise'of the box cari As the bands 2 3 and 2 8 "extend around the bundles and 5 package crosswise, this'willput these bands- 23 and" 28 lengthwise of the box car; Regardless of how many'individual packages arethen loaded iirthebox-car and- -whether theyare stacked one i on top of the other, there willbe'practically no loosening eife'ct on the packages, bundles, bandsor individual boards duringtransit.- Longitudinal' shifting of theboards and packages in the car is reduced to a minimum by this -arrangement because thejolting due tostarting and stopping of the trai-nis' sidewise' ofthe package r'ather than lengthwise; Furthermore, there-Willbe no"tendency-for'the ties 23- and 28 to catch on each other and besheared oif, as would occur if stacked lengthwise of the-car.

Considerable loading advantage is alsoob'- tained byproviding apackage of this type. I The packages,'- being ofa len'gthiapproximately equal" to the width of a box car, are simply picked' up Icy-"the *fork' 3'] of a lift" truck 3 I and the truck run" into th'ecar. The packages are then spotted or placedin the car'oneither'the floor or stacked upon each other 'di're'ctly b'y' thetruck', and'the amountofhandling ofthe package in the-. car is also reduced-to amin'imum.

The packages 21' are then removed from the box car and are taken to the local lumber yard or warehouse, wherein, .in their. compact condition, they can.readilybestoredina minimum amount of space... Whenit is .desired to remove 'the flooring from the package, the straps 28 arebroken andsremoveduand the individual bundles 22 5 are office for production record. The remaining two tallies are left attached to the package 21. In shipping, one of the remaining tallies is removed for count and billing, and the other tally goes along with the completed package for the cust-omers count.

It is to be understood that variations and changes may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for packaging bundles of lumber comprising a bin, said bin having front and rear spaced sills, an upright rear wall, a pair of spaced and oppositely disposed side Walls and an upper sill at the front of the bin, said front and rear sills each having a pair of spaced U-shaped notches formed therein and a pair of substantially T-shaped notches formed therein, and a U-shaped channel guide member positioned within the stem of each of said T-shaped notches, said guide members each including a bowed section projecting laterally away from said rear wall and having an end thereof secured to said upper sill, the head of each of the T-shaped slots formed in the front and rear sills being adapted to receive a spacer strip for binding in the lumber package.

2. Apparatus for packaging bundles of lumber comprising a bin, said bin having front and rear spaced sills, an upper sill at the front of the bin, said front and rear sills each having a pair of spaced U-shaped notches formed therein and a pair of substantially T-shaped notches formed therein, and a U-shaped channel guide member positioned within the stem of each of said T- shaped notches, said guide members each having an end thereof secured to said upper sill, the head of each of the T-shaped slots formed in the front and rear sills being adapted to receive a spacer strip for binding in the lumber package.

3. A package bundle binding device comprising a bin having a side wall and end walls, an open framework supporting said side and end walls constituting a bundle support, said framework having front and rear base members provided with slots, a U-shaped channel guide member for a tie band mounted in one of the slots, and the other of the slots being adapted to receive a supporting platform member of a lift truck, said side wall comprising spaced panels, said channel guide member having a portion thereof received in the space between the panels, said open framework having a header, said channel guide member being secured to the header whereby one or more bundles to be tied are adapted to be received upon the channel guide member between the ends thereof with the channel member abutting the spaced panels of the side wall so that the tie band can be moved through the channel member in surrounding relation about the bundle or bundles to facilitate tightening and tying of the tie band, and the other of said slots being adapted to facilitate removal of the tied bundle or bundles from the bin by a lift truck.

4. A package bundle binding device comprising a pair of superposed bins each having a side wall and end walls, an open framework supporting said side and end walls of the respective superposed bins and constituting bundle supports, said framework having front and rear base members for each bin provided with a pair of slots, a pair of U-shaped channel guide members for tie bands mounted in the pair of slots, the front base member of each bin having additional slots adapted to receive supporting platform members of a lift truck, said side wall of each bin comprising spaced panels with spaces therebetween receiving respective portions of the channel guide members therethrough, the front base member for the upper bin forming a header for the lower bin, said open framework having a header for the upper bin, said channel guide members being secured to said headers respectively whereby bundles to be tied are adapted to be received upon the channel guide members in the respective bins between the ends thereof with the channel members abutting the panels of the side walls so that the tie bands can be moved through the channel members in surrounding relation about the bundles to facilitate tightening and tying of the tie bands, and the additional slots being adapted to facilitate removal of the tied bundles from the respective bins by a lift truck.

DANIEL M. ROSE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 850,105 Spencer Apr. 9, 1907 1,521,506 Chalk Dec. 30, 1924 1,710,897 Ross Apr. 30, 1929 1,743,832 Seligman Jan. 14, 1930 2,195,043 Wright Mar. 26, 1940 2,593,588 McDonald Apr. 22, 1952 2,596,071 Friesner May 6, 1952 2,616,361 Friesner Nov. 4, 1952 

